What to do with Wells looms on horizon

CLEVELAND -- Clouds are gathering on the horizon, off in the distance but getting closer all the time.

Angels outfielder Vernon Wells has been medically cleared this week to begin more intense rehab work, six weeks after surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. Wells began playing catch this week, the first time he was allowed to throw a baseball since the surgery. He has stepped up his conditioning work and is also doing more strenuous strengthening exercises with his hand, some involving gripping a bat – something else he wasn't allowed to do for six weeks.

"Any time you're not using those different muscles for so long, you have to work to get them fired up again," Wells said of the workout. "It's just about doing some activities that will put more stress on it (his thumb)."

Wells is tentatively scheduled to start taking swings next week – first 'dry swings' (no ball) then off a tee, progressing to soft toss and actual batting practice.

Wells said he has a target in mind to start a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment "shortly after the All-Star break" which arrives next week. Wells is on the 60-day DL and can't be activated until July 20 at the earliest.

That's when those clouds will arrive.

When Wells injured his thumb on May 20, the Angels were six games under .500 (18-24), last in the AL West (eight games out) and only beginning to show signs of coming out of the deep depression that marked the first six weeks of their season.

But they went into Wednesday's game holding down one of the American League's two wild-card spots and have two freshly-minted All-Star outfielders in Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo. There seems to be no role for Wells (certainly none worthy of his $21 million salary) and only the potential for disruption if Manager Mike Scioscia gives him playing time over either of those two players —or reserve outfielder Peter Bourjos, for that matter.

"You always face different situations," Scioscia said. "This thing could turn six different ways by the time he comes back and plays so you really can't speculate on what's going to happen.

"What Vernon does — he's a special player when he's right and that's his focus right now, getting healthy. We'll obviously look at where we are and what's going on but it's still a long ways away."

Wells has deflected questions about where he will fit in — if at all — when he returns, saying only that he thinks there will still be "a spot for me in left" field. As that date inches closer and Trout and Trumbo have cemented their importance to the Angels, Wells said he has not looked beyond the short-range challenge of getting ready to play.

"No, that's not going to worry me," Wells said. "Even when I get healthy, that can't be my focus because it's out of my control. My focus is just on getting healthy, getting back in the lineup and doing what I can do to help the team."

PITCHING PROBLEMS

It seems unlikely that Dan Haren will make his final scheduled start before the All-Star break, and he could be headed to the DL for the first time in his career depending on the outcome of a planned examination of his back.

The Angels have very limited and unattractive options to replace him in the rotation.

"We're thin. We've talked about that for awhile," Scioscia said of the Angels' lack of depth in starting pitching. "We're going to wait and see where we are tomorrow (after Haren's back is examined by doctors). Then we'll have to look at our options. If Dan can't go, then we'll have some decisions to make."

The first decision will be whether Jerome Williams is ready to fill Haren's spot.

Williams has made just one rehab start in Triple-A since he passed out and had to be hospitalized with an apparent asthma attack after his start on June 18. Williams did not pitch well in that rehab start Sunday and left the game in the third inning after being hit in the arm by a line drive.

The Angels planned to have Williams make another start in Triple-A on Friday. Scioscia was evasive when asked if Williams would still make that start in light of Haren's likely absence.

"I think there's definitely some value in him getting another chance to pitch (in Triple-A)," Scioscia said. "In talking to our medical staff, I think we're past that concern with the thing that he had after the game in his last start. There are some things that complicate it – getting hit in the arm by a line drive. But he threw a great bullpen yesterday.

"We'll see where we are. You can say in a perfect world what you want to do. But we know it's not a perfect world."

The Angels could promote a starter from Triple-A. But left-hander Brad Mills (shoulder) and right-hander Trevor Bell (elbow) have only recently returned from injuries. Matt Shoemaker is 5-7 with a 5.28 ERA in his first season at Triple-A. And former major leaguers Eric Hurley (7-7, 5.38) and Greg Smith (4-5, 3.50) have done little to stand out as potential solutions.

THURSDAY

Angels right-hander Garrett Richards (2-1, 2.81) is scheduled to start against Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta (3-9, 5.81). Game time is 7:05 p.m. and it will be broadcast on FSW, KLAA/830 AM and KWKW/1330 AM in Spanish.